


Putting Things Straight

by Lionheart39



Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 11:39:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19393372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lionheart39/pseuds/Lionheart39
Summary: After Battlefield,. The Doctor wants to know why the Brigadier used to appear to be a fool!





	Putting Things Straight

The Doctor was sat in a deckchair in the Lethbridge-Stewart's beautiful garden, a jug of orange juice with ice, and a good slug of the Brigadier's best whisky, in it was on the small side table . His friend was sat in the deckchair beside him, both of them with a glass of the cool drink in their hands.

They were sat watching Doris and Ace on the putting green the Brigadier had installed for when the grandchildren came to stay. Alistair was smiling in a very contented way. The Doctor was quite fascinated by his old friend’s attitude. Just two days before he had been facing a monster from another dimension, willing to die to save the world. And now here he was just sitting in his garden, watching his wife and Ace, as though it had never happened, although he had the bruises to prove it had.

“You look contented,” the Doctor said to his old friend.

“Yes, I must admit Doctor there were times I would have been relieved to have died in battle.”

The Doctor frowned “Relieved? That’s a strange thing to say, Alistair.”

“ Yes, relieved,” the old soldier said, “sometimes being the one responsible for sorting out the mess, for ordering young people in to dangerous situations, it can well, wear you down!”

The Doctor nodded, he had seen the Brigadier after several battles and knew he never took the loss of any of the men under his command lightly.

The Brigadier continued, “But since meeting Doris, again and realising I wasn't past loving or appreciating being loved, well things are wonderful. Finding Doris is probably the best thing that has happened to me.”

“Yet you left all this and came to help me.” the Doctor said.

“Yes, well friendship still counts for something Doctor! Besides if you were involved it was best I was there so I could be sure all this would still be here. I wasn't about to risk Doris's future by leaving you to muddle through.”

The Doctor shot his friend a hurt look, then laughed.

“Alistair, can I ask you a question that has been puzzling me since my last two regenerations.”

The Brigadier looked over at him, “of course, Doctor!”

“Why when I worked for you at UNIT did you keep giving people the impression that you were an idiot, a ‘Dunderhead' as you put it!”

The Brigadier chortled, “Do you know, Sargent Benton and Liz Shaw asked me the same thing!”

“Well!” the Doctor insisted.

The Brigadier smiled at his friend, “Well Doctor, you were stuck on Earth, your TARDIS wasn't working, your companions had been taken from you and I have never seen anyone so angry and unhappy as you were. I figured you needed to be the hero of the hour.”

The Doctor still looked a bit puzzled.

So the Brigadier continued. “Ok, so often it's the Nerds who save the day, but it's the handsome heroic soldiers who everyone pat’s on the back and hails the heroes. We are the ones who get the medals. Well I already had enough of those. So I figured you needed the praise and the admiration more than I did. It made you happier to be the action hero and I was pleased to see you happy. Besides most people who knew me understood why I did it! I'm glad to say it was only you and probably Miss Grant who ever took me for a complete fool! What was your phrase ‘A pompous, self opinionated, idiot.’ I think.”

The Doctor looked embarrassed. “Alistair, I'm sorry, I was rather pompous and unpleasant back then!”

Alistair Lethbridge -Stewart smiled, “You were then and still are my best friend Doctor! I don't know about anywhere else, but here you take care of your friends!”

Now come on I think the ladies want us to challenge them to a round of putting. But for goodness sake don't take any wagers off Doris, she’ll win the shirt off your back if you do!”

The Doctor watched his best friend walk over to his wife and felt happy that he was so contented with his life.


End file.
